Well, 1-9 individual strings (I've seen) and then 8, 12, and up to nine in double string and higher, like twelve sting guitar. A 4 could be 8 or 12 or 16, a 5 sting could be 10, 15, ect. It's pretty much exponential. So anywhere from 1- 27 if a nine string bass had 3 of the little "secondary" stings like the 4 sting bass that has twelve ergo big-small-small, from the F# down. That's my knowledge, but there may be less/more made that I don't know about.
I've seen tripled 6 strings, 18 strings total, and Jonas Hellborg has one with 10 individual strings, although he reportedly doesn't play it anymore.
hehehhe I like those Chapman Sticks.. are they Considered basses? or what... or just stick with TONS AND TONS of strings, like those 12 string Chapman Sticks!! !!
I heard there are 30 string basses, out there.... but not sure People makes some weird looking basses!!! John Turner: Thinking about getting 21 strings? (7x3) hehe DM
i've tried 15's before, 5 strings x3, and while i liked the sound a lot, i don't think i would feel very comfortable playing them. the sound WAS cool though, which is why i am getting many of my basses refitted with rmc synth pickups, so that i can use the vg8 in conjunction with the regular magnetics and get the sound without all the strings .
AH!!!! so your 7 string sounds like a 21, but its a 7! I getcha.. Go for the record 11 string John Turner!!! !!!! Tuning would be what... C#-F#-B-E-A-D-G-C-F-Bb-Eb?!?!??!?!??! O_O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, he USED to play it, but he got out of all of that shredder virtuoso stuff and plays mostly Acoustic Bass Guitar now.